We are delighted to announce that the School received three awards as part of the 2021 Spotlight Conference held by CAUCE (Canadian Association for University Continuing Education). We were thrilled to learn that our Certificate in User Experience (UX) Design won an award in the programs category. We also received two awards in the Design and Marketing category.
The conference was held online this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Though we couldn’t be with our fellow Continuing Education professionals, we’re still thankful for this recognition. The committees for selecting the winners were comprised of volunteers from universities across the country, making the awards even more significant and special for us.
Every year, the CAUCE conference brings attention to the state of continuing education in the country by gathering important stakeholders and university professionals from across Canada. With the pandemic being stretched out over a year, it was more important than ever to come together at the online conference, share best practices and celebrate our accomplishments.
Learn more about the awards we received at the 2021 CAUCE Conference:
WINNER – NON–CREDIT PROGRAMMING OVER 48 HOURS
Certificate in User Experience (UX) Design
According to a LinkedIn report1, UX design is among the top five in-demand job skills. This is only going to grow as Google now considers UX a ranking factor in its search engine. With this rising demand for skilled UX professionals in mind and with the input from our program advisory council of senior industry leaders, we launched the Certificate in User Experience (UX) Design. Under professional guidance, students practice the core job skills a UX Designer needs in today’s market.
The program’s comprehensive curriculum focuses on experiential learning, allowing students to constantly practice and upgrade their UX skill set. The learning is done both online and in-person (or in our live on-line format during the pandemic.)
With courses like UX Design Research, Visual Design, Wireframing and Prototyping and Applied UX Design, students will develop an understanding of key elements of this field like market research, product development strategy and design.
We know that the learning journey is much more gratifying and engaging when students are surrounded by a community of like-minded peers, building lasting professional networks. This is why our program harnesses the power of cohort learning and peer-to-peer collaboration – so they will advance through the program with a set group of peers. Students practice cross-functional skills such as teamwork, communications, problem solving, active listening and storytelling to prepare for today’s dynamic workplace.
Finally, through our accelerated format, students can finish the program in under a year, ready with a portfolio of work that showcases their UX capabilities and expertise.
Program features at a glance:
- Part-time format: Study online and enhance your learning with some weekends in-class
- Accelerated study: Finish in just 8 months
- Real-world projects: Put your learning into practice while building critical job skills
- Design Thinking: Learn and apply design thinking methodologies to solve UX problems
- Build a portfolio to show employers
To learn more about the Certificate in User Experience Design, click here.
WINNER – D2. DIGITAL AND PRINT ADVERTISING/OUT–OF–HOME
School of Continuing Studies, Professional Programs Display Ads
The awareness campaign that we launched in August 2020 focused on showing our student-centric approach to Continuing Education. Our intention was to communicate that we stood for students realizing their potential and investing in their future through our programs. With that in mind, we honed in on the message, “Your potential realized.” This simple phrase ran through all of our communications and also in the way we delivered and continue to deliver our programs.
WINNERS – D4. PRINT PUBLICATIONS (SMALL)
School of Continuing Studies, 2019-2020 Annual Report
The School’s 2019-20 Annual Report highlighted two important milestones for the School of Continuing Studies – our fifth anniversary, and the 35th anniversary of the English Language Institute which joined the School in 2015. The report also highlights:
- Reaching 1,000% enrolment growth over five years
- Winning an iStudy award for the English Language Institute for Language School of the year
- The School’s immediate switch to online course delivery during the pandemic
- Launching a several first-to-market, innovative new programs
The report offered a comprehensive and engaging presentation of our story and accomplishments so far. We brought it all together with a minimalist look that made the report easy-to-scan and accessible.
To read the 2019-20 Annual Report, click here.
As we continue to navigate this challenging year, we’re grateful for the recognition of our staff members and instructors that made these successes possible. Above all, we’re glad to be making an enduring difference in the professional and personal lives of our students. Thank you CAUCE for presenting our hard-working staff and instructors with these awards!
